# How should the Pit be changed, if at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 19, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859 "2021-07-19T23:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/161 "2021-07-22T03:43:59Z")
![](https://c.tenor.com/4cadzb9IWKEAAAAC/mic-drop-kayleigh.gif "Mic Drop Kayleigh GIF - Mic Drop Kayleigh Kayleigh Mcenany - Discover &...") ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/162 "2021-07-22T09:49:40Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > :Long-term posters who are still active: 8 […snip…] > > Bannees: 23 [incl. 11 who were cornfielded] > > No longer active: 8. Well, thanks for the effort, that seems quite convincing to me, in that it indicates that it neither drives off everyone, nor does it overwhelmingly miss its target. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/163 "2021-07-22T09:53:44Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > {…} If anyone wants to continue from post #501 knock yourself out. Thanks! I’ve been wanting someone to do that for a while. Hopefully someone else will pick up where you left off. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/164 "2021-07-22T11:08:10Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > If anyone wants to continue from post #501 knock yourself out. Looks like we’re done here. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/165 "2021-07-22T14:25:13Z")
Just a quick aside, one of the ‘no longer active’ posters mentioned in @John_DiFool 's excellent review has indeed surfaced today. Specifically **azgem** posted a link (with no commentary) in the recent QZ thread about Sweden’s experiment being a failure. The discourse reminder that it had been 7 months since the last post caught my eye and my crappy but still functional brain managed the cross-link to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/166 "2021-07-22T15:26:58Z")
It does overwhelmingly miss it’s target. 500 posts, 23 bannees, 11 who were cornfielded as they were spammers or more likely socks. That is a 5% hit rate. Now of those 23, what we need is for a Mod to say how many of them were reported. Of course the LT posters had reports, but of the 11, I would like to see if any of them only were pitted and not reported. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/167 "2021-07-22T15:29:09Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It does overwhelmingly miss it’s target. 500 posts, 23 bannees, 11 who were cornfielded as they were spammers or more likely socks. That is a 5% hit rate. [![](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bcf.png?fit=680%2C445&ssl=1) ](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bcf.png?fit=680%2C445&ssl=1) That’s not quite right. Not every one of the 500 posts was a shot. That’s like arguing that “successful shots” our of “shots on goal” is a bad metric in soccer, instead we should compare “successful shots” to “times people touched the ball with their foot”. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/168 "2021-07-22T15:29:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 500 posts, 23 bannees, 11 who were cornfielded as they were spammers or more likely socks. That is a 5% hit rate. Why on Cthulhu’s viridescent Earth would anyone be looking at number of posts, rather than number of individuals pitted, to calculate “hit rate”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/169 "2021-07-22T15:30:43Z")
Because he did not specify number of persons pitted, now did he? Wanna go count? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/170 "2021-07-22T15:32:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Because he did not specify number of persons pitted, now did he? > > Wanna go count? . He literally does. 8 who still post, 23 who were banned, and 8 who allegedly left (but at least 3 of them so far still post) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/171 "2021-07-22T15:33:29Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > He literally does. Yes, that is why his summary is so interesting. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/172 "2021-07-22T15:33:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Because he did not specify number of persons pitted, now did he? He kind of did, yes. Unless adding 8+23+8 isn’t something that occurred to you. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/173 "2021-07-22T15:34:13Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yes, that is why his summary is so interesting Or would be, if he didn’t fail to take into account the total number of atoms in the observable universe ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/174 "2021-07-22T15:35:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Unless adding 8+23+8 isn’t something that occurred to you. Pro-Tip: You gotta remember to carry the one. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/175 "2021-07-22T15:35:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > He kind of did, yes. Unless adding 8+23+8 isn’t something that occurred to you. [![](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bcf.png?fit=680%2C445&ssl=1) ](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bcf.png?fit=680%2C445&ssl=1) 8,238? 0.2% hit rate! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/176 "2021-07-22T15:35:22Z")
Yes, but it took 500 posts to cover under 40 posters. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/177 "2021-07-22T15:35:42Z")
We could just ask. > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I went back to the start of the current Troll R US thread, and did a tally for the 1st 500 posts (from last summer). Note in some cases the R US post failed to link to the thread/post and/or didn’t specify the exact handle-was forced to throw those out (1 fit that description). In some cases their failure to come up on search indicated that they were cornfielded. > > :Long-term posters who are still active: 8 [**Ashtura** , **Whack-A-Mole** , **Velocity** , **Octopus** , **jtur88** , **JohnT** , **Omar Little** , **Kearsen1**] > > Bannees: 23 [incl. 11 who were cornfielded] > > No longer active: 8. But almost all of these were long-term Dopers, around for at least a year before they got called out, most of which didn’t bail on the board soon after their Pitting. I’ll list them in case anyone wants to examine them more closely: > > **jim23** > **YWTF** > **Pavelb1** [the only newbie when he got pitted then bailed soon after, BUT someone recognized the secondary name in his profile as that of a long-term Doper from when we ran vBulletin) > **duffer** > **putnam6** > **SayTwo** > **agzem** > **Harrington** So **John\_DiFool** , are we correct in assuming that you are saying that within those 500 posts you have reviewed, 39 individuals were specifically flagged as trolls (of which 23 were banned, eight are still active and eight are not)? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/178 "2021-07-22T15:35:57Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, but it took 500 posts to cover under 40 posters. And? Do you not understand how _rates_ work? Or Pit threads? Were you under the impression it was one post per pitee? 12.5 posts per pittee is pretty run-of-the-mill. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/179 "2021-07-22T15:36:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, but it took 500 posts to cover under 40 posters. Save the Electrons! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/180 "2021-07-22T15:37:18Z")
Having a forum called The Pit just encourages aggression. Rename it “Peaceful Resolution of Differences of Opinion - Always Be Nice” and any problems are solved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859.md?page=10)